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This week I completed reading this for at least the fourth time in the past ten years, and thus I (evidently) enjoy this edition very much.

Note that Ferry indeed *renders* the text--he is not a translator; rather, he phrased the story based upon others' translations. In my view this is perfectly acceptable, in that perhaps it frees him to focus on the aesthetics of the final product without being distracted by the literalness of the translation.

The story of King Gilgamesh, his friend Enkidu, their adventures together, Gilgamesh's grief, and his subsequent efforts to transcend the sorrow of death is a timeless tale.

Readers versed in other ancient traditions may recognize common themes, such as the strikingly familiar flood narrative in Table XI.

Twin Cities readers may recall the fine production of "The Oldest Story in the World," a rendition of the Gilgamesh epic, at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis during the fall of 2010.